


[The Walking Dead Game] Season 5: World Left Behind

by Louisxcantaloupe



Series: The Walking Dead Season 5 [1]
Category: The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead Game, Twd - Fandom, twdg
Genre: Apocalypse, F/M, Fanfiction, Gen, OCs - Freeform, Other, Twdg season 5, Twdg5, Zombies, caravan group, twdg - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 09:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25967128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louisxcantaloupe/pseuds/Louisxcantaloupe
Summary: The Walking Dead Game... we know it, we love it, some of us want more of it... I just so happen to fit into the category that longs for more. Chances are, if you're reading this, we are one in the same here. I am here to deliver to you what you wish for. While this certainly will never be canon, and will only follow the path I ended with, I hope that you are satisfied with what I've come up with as a continuation. (Will continue with the route: James dies, Lilly lives, Tennessee dies, Violet gets blinded, romance with Louis) along with many other miniature choices that'll be referenced throughout! This'll be focusing on the caravan group. Finding out who they are, and where they came from... and what's to come because of them.⠀I eventually plan to turn this into a visual novel! With actual choices! That means, of course, that I'll have to think of alternative routes for the other ways the game can end.
Relationships: Clementine/Louis, Clementine/Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running), Louis/Clementine, clouis - Relationship
Series: The Walking Dead Season 5 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884733
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	[The Walking Dead Game] Season 5: World Left Behind

|| The Walking Dead Fanfiction: Louis and Clem ||  
❤️  
A Light to the Night  
(2AM at night)

⠀The floorboards creaked quietly as a gust of wind filtered in through the cracks in the boarded up window of Clementine and AJ’s room. The walls were heavily decorated in items the two had collected over their time together in Ericson’s school. The room had a particular knack for skulls of all kinds, from human to animal. They had grown a large collection of little toys from the old cartoon, Disco Broccoli. The toys were worn down, with scratches on their dirty, yellowing plastic, but AJ saw them as something more precious to him than could be put into words. Clementine had always wished he could’ve seen the toys as they were in their mint condition. Or, even better, have seen the cartoon itself. Or any cartoon at all… she wished she could have given him a taste of the childhood she had. Though her own was brief, it was those memories that she so desperately hung onto, that she hoped they could someday get back to, no matter how far fetched that dream may be.

⠀A creak of the wood sounded at the back of the room. Clementine dismissed it as the sound of the building shifting in her deep slumber, not disturbed by the sound of the door to her room being gently pushed open. The sound of quiet leather boots approached her bed as they scraped against the floor. Clementine turned in her sleep, dragging the covers of the bed further up over her shoulders and hovering it just above her nose as she was turned on her side. Silence befell the room as dust particles flew around in the strand of moonlight that crept in through the boarded up windows. It stayed like this for a few moments, silence comforting. A voice was soon to interrupt it, but it was gentle, soothing, quiet. A hand was placed on Clementine’s shoulder, shaking it gently. “Clementine…” it whispered. Eyebrows furrowing, Clementine shook her head, blinking open her eyes, vision still dark with sleep. “AJ…?” She whispered as she brought her hands up to her eyes to rub them. Now straightening herself up, she noticed that the shadow of the person before her was much too tall to be AJ.  
⠀  
⠀”Uh, sorry to disappoint, but no,” A buttery chuckle tumbled from the male’s voice. “Louis…?! What are you doing here?!” Tousled dreads cascaded in front of Louis’s face as he knelt by Clementine’s bed. His tanned skin was gorgeously highlighted in the moonlight he stood in as it pooled around him, his smile standing out in the pale luster. His chocolate eyes were soft as they affectionately blinked at Clementine. “Ok, so, I know it’s late— but—“ Clementine shimmied herself up to press her back up against the Ericson’s school flag she had hung at the wall of her bed. Her blanket slipped off her shoulders and fell back to the bed. “Why didn’t you knock?” She inquired, eyebrows furrowing as her mouth slanted. “I didn’t want to wake up AJ!” He defended in a whisper, eyes widening. He sucked in a breath, exhaling deeply as if he was pushing out anxieties that he was battling down inside him. Clementine patiently looked at Louis with narrowed eyes for further explanation. A smile found it’s way back onto his face as he stared at her. “I have something, like, really cool that I wanted to show you. I wanted to show you when we could be alone, so, I thought, Louis, why not late in the night?” He shrugged with a dopey grin. “Or early in the morning,” Clementine piped up as she crossed her arms.  
⠀  
⠀”No! It won’t have the same affect in the morning. Trust me! It’s going to blow you away, figuratively and literally!” The excitement bounced in Louis’s eyes like a rabbit in a flowerfield. Covering her mouth to shush her giggle, Clementine shook her head. “Louis, you better not be showing me a bomb.” She scooted to the side of her bed, leg and stump swinging over the side. “Haha! I knew I could convince you. I guess there’s only one way to find out whether or not it’s a bomb, and that’s for you to trust me.” His voice was getting louder with his excitement. He went and got Clementine’s crutches for her, located just at the end of her bed, laid up against the metal frame. The crutches were luckily very sturdy. They’d hold for a long, long time before they’d have to worry about making new ones. Deep down, Louis hoped they’d find some sort of temporary foot before then. Or permanent. Yeah, permanent would take the cake. Clementine could kick ass with or without a foot, but he knew she could do double the damage if she got it back. He passed the crutches off to Clementine with a smile.  
⠀  
⠀It took a tedious amount of effort to silently creep out of the room with crutches without making a lot of noise to wake AJ. Twice, Louis suggested scooping her up and carrying her out the door, but Clementine denied the offer both times with a choked laugh and roll of her eyes. He made a stupid joke about it too, like how he could sweep her off her feet just like he did in the piano room where they confessed they had shared feelings. They eventually found their way out. Quietly, Louis shut the door and ruffled the collar of his trench coat with pride as he teetered back and forth with that familiar giddy grin. Now outside the room, Clementine could barely see anything. It was almost pitch black. “I, um, probably should’ve grabbed the candle first. Yeah, I… I didn’t think of that.” Louis said as he nervously scratched the back of his head. “Never fear! Louis is here, and he is prepared with a backup light source.” From the pocket of his trench coat, Louis pulled out a box of matches with a confident nod of his head. A match wouldn’t help them much, but at least it’d be something. “Really? I’m surprised you’re not keeping a candle stored in there already. Thought you always had them on hand.” Clementine bantered back, lifting one of her crutches to make a gesture. “Hey, the candle store ran out of candles! Not my fault, contact the maker. Maybe next time.” 

⠀If Clem wanted him to store a candle in his pockets everyday, he would do it. He’d do it for her. He’d do it so he could prepare a date for them at any moment. “But we won’t be needing a candle out there tonight, you’ll see. Patience is key, my dear Clementine!” Clementine’s eyebrows raised at the ‘my’. Louis pulled out the tiny box of matches from its covering and took a single match out. He shared a glance with Clementine. “Want me to do it?” She teased, referring back to when he couldn’t light it quickly on their ‘date’. “That was a one time thing! I got this, watch and learn…” he struck the match on the side of the box. It didn’t light. “just… any… moment… now…” he hit it a few more times. You could almost see the sweat leaping off his forehead. Clementine broke into a fit of laughter. She covered her mouth with her hand to silence herself as she shook her head. “T-There! Here we go! Light.” It really wasn’t much, but he had gotten the flame to go. It was weird, having such a tiny little flame to guide them. Deep down, Clementine felt like she didn’t need it. She had walked down these graffitied hallways so many times now, it was almost instinct to know the right direction without bumping into anything. But, then again, with crutches, it was… different. It wasn’t often she felt pain in her leg, but she felt something else. Like, something was… wrong about her body. She could almost still feel her foot, even though she no longer had it.  
⠀  
⠀After storing the matches box back in his pocket, Louis placed his free hand over Clementine’s back to help guide her as he held the small light source next to them. It wouldn’t last them too long. For the most part, they walked in silence. They were approaching the door. “...I wish I could hold your hand. You know, like, as we walked…” Clementine turned her head to look at Louis, gaze softening as she frowned. “Oh yeah?” She hadn’t really expected him to say that. For a few more seconds, no words found their way to her mouth. “...Me too… but, the—“ Louis shook his head. “I know, the crutches. But hey, at least I can still hold your hand in general. That’s pretty cool, right?” A smile found its way onto their faces at the same time. “Yeah,” she murmured with a curt nod. She found herself wanting to lean her head on Louis’s shoulder as they neared the entrance. Right in time, too. The match was getting too close to Louis’s fingers. He shook it out, killing the only source of light they had. It didn’t make much difference with it out, and it didn’t help much with it lit either, but it was the thought that counted. Clementine couldn’t help but be curious why he was carrying matches with him. It wasn’t something people usually take everywhere. Unless he really did have a candle with him somewhere, and he was saving it for whatever they were going to do.  
⠀  
⠀Louis pushed open the door for Clementine as he discarded the burned match off outside. He held it open for her, giving a gratuitous bow singed with chivalry. “And I thought chivalry was dead,” Clementine quipped, touching her hand to Louis’s head of hair briefly as she shuffled her way outside the entrance. “Died at the start of the apocalypse? Far from it, my sweet.” All the silly nicknames that slipped from Louis’s mouth never failed to put a smile on her face. “Whatever you say, Be-Lou-Ga.” She gave him a small push with her hand as she rested the crutch up under her armpit. Louis hobbled back at the shocking force of her supposed ‘light’ push. “Right back atcha, Clem-ster.” The boy said with a wink. He slung his arm over her shoulder, causing her to stagger forward a bit. He made sure she wouldn’t fall, tightening his grip on her shoulders. “Any stronger of a push and you could’ve knocked me over! You underestimate your strength with your leg gone.” Clem gaped at Louis’s comment, head flicking to look at him. “What?! You almost just knocked me over yourself! Don’t make me shove you harder.” A bubble of guffawing rose from Louis’s throat. “Consider it revenge!” He poked a single finger into her side. “Hey! Cut it out, let’s just go to what you wanted to show me. I still have no idea what it is.”  
⠀   
⠀They walked together as they spoke, Louis being the one to guide her to where he was taking her. “Well, why don’t you guess? But I can assure you, you’re not gonna get it, but I’d be delighted to hear you try.” It was a chilly night. Clementine took in a shaky breath, glancing up at the vast sea of stars in the sky above them. “Hmm, okay, if I had to guess, I’d… guess you somehow finished the house we were planning to build.” Her amber gaze drifted back down from the sky to meet Louis’s brown eyes. Like match fire of their own, amusement danced in his dark eyes. “All nine hundred and fourteen floors? Good guess, but not quite.” He gave her shoulder a light squeeze. She sighed in defeat, shaking her head. “Was I close at all?” Louis sucked in a breath, teeth clenching as he shook his head. “You were about as cold as it is out here.” Clementine’s eyes broadened with shock, mouth dropping a little as it tilted. “Huh, alright, I guess that guess was pretty unlikely,” She shrugged, Louis’s arm bouncing with the movement of her shoulders. It felt like with every step they took, the colder she got, and the slower she got. She felt guilty, deep down. At least she was alive. AJ made the right call with her leg. She wouldn’t be here with Louis now if it wasn’t for what he did. She wouldn’t be having this moment. “It was pretty cute though,” Louis said in a purr, gaze shifting over from the benches where they usually ate to Clementine as his eyebrows wiggled, head twitching gently like a bobble head.   
⠀   
⠀”And, uh, for the record, that house is definitely still happening. Every floor! Dad would be so proud. And we’re gonna build it,” Louis stopped walking to turn Clementine towards him and place both his hands on her shoulders. The tiny smile pulling at his lips reflected on Clem’s own face. “Together.” He concluded with a nod of his head. He was so confident in what he was saying, as if she would magically be able to walk again and do heavy lifting. It didn’t bother her. In fact, it made her feel… hopeful. Releasing one hand from her crutch, Clementine extended it forward to wrap it around the back of Louis’s neck and draw him in for a kiss. It was quick, but the burst of electricity that came with each never seemed to go away. Before Clementine could draw away, Louis placed his hands softly on her back, pulling her forward to deepen the kiss as he sighed against her lips in solace. After a few soft moments, his hands fell back to his sides and Clementine grabbed her crutch once more. Even through the darkness of the night, the deep rosy shade coloring their cheeks was obvious. In truth, they hadn’t kissed too many times, but they both hoped the feeling that came with it never went away. It reminded them that there was still good left in this world.  
⠀  
⠀”Uh, right, anyway! We’re right about here. Mind if I cover your eyes?” They really hadn’t gone that far. They had only walked so slowly because of the whole deal with her leg, and with how they were taking their precious time being together. “Go ahead, just make sure I don’t fall.” Louis slid a hand over her eyes. “Fall for me? No promises,” Even though Clementine couldn’t see the smile on Louis’s face, she could sense it. His hands, unlike the air, were so warm, and soft. His other hand was held gently over her back. He was always so careful with her, especially after the incident with her bite, and losing her leg up to her ankle. He made sure to never do anything that could possibly put her in harm's way. The fact alone that Clementine knew she could count on Louis made her feel butterflies in her stomach. She didn’t just assume it. She knew it. He’d proven it so many times before. Louis saved her life more than once, and she with him. That was just the sort of thing that happened out in the apocalypse, but only with the people you knew you could trust. They shuffled along the path. Clementine could feel the ground turn from grass, to flattened dirt beneath her foot. Her body was pressed close to Louis as they tottered nearer, careful not to have her crutches hit anywhere near where Louis’s feet may be. 

⠀”Ow!” Louis exclaimed. Clementine’s heart rate kicked up. Did she accidentally do exactly what she was avoiding to do?! “What happened? Are you okay?” She hurriedly asked. “Just kidding. I just wanted to see your reaction. You almost stabbed your crutch into your own foot trying to avoid mine.” Louis could feel Clem’s eyes roll beneath his hand over her face. “That’s not funny!” “What?! I’m the king of funny! But, if you don’t want me to do it again, I won’t.” Clearing his throat, Louis’s grip loosened on her face. “We’re here,” he whispered. His hand skated off her face, and she could see again. They were… at the bow shooting practice area? “Uh, Louis?” He wasn’t beside her. “Why are we…?” Clem turned around to face him. Her eyes doubled to the size of the full moon above them. In his hands, she saw something she thought she’d never see again in her lifespan. “L-Louis, are those… sparklers?!” She gaped. He had two boxes in his offhand. One white, one red. The boxes were pretty fragile and torn up, but the same familiar TNT logo could be seen splayed across the top despite the wear and tear. In his other hand, he held two sparklers betwixt his index finger and his middle finger, crossed over each other in an X. “Yes ma’am, your eyes do not deceive you.”   
⠀  
⠀He gestured the hand holding the sparklers out to her, pushing one up for her to take. Clem’s face was red with a mix of nervousness and excitement. She never thought she’d see sparklers ever again. She’d only used them a few times on the Fourth of July. It was a tradition for her family. Never any fireworks, but… always sparklers. That felt like a memory Clem would have never been given the chance to revisit, but now… here she was. With Louis, with him waving a sparkler out to her to grab. “It doesn’t bite till you light it. Go on. Take it.” She stood there in awe still. Noticing her hesitation, Louis made a low growling noise. “Grrr… oh no, maybe it will bite! The only way to tame it? Grab it. Light the little scrap. Ok, uh… yeah, that was weird. I’ll stop now.” Hand quivering, Clementine finally managed to take the sparkler from Louis. She felt speechless. She felt like she held a power in her hand. “Where… where did you manage to find these, Louis?!” A simper on his face, Louis pulled on the collar of his trench coat twice as he rocked back and forth at her hype. “With the greenhouse being back in our command, that meant we got the science labs back too. Mitch was troubled, otherwise he wouldn’t have been sent here. You know the story of him and his bombs, obviously. Of course, Mitch couldn’t live without his precious sparks, so he smuggled in sparklers from when we held Fourth of July parties at the school. He kept them in a hole in the wall in the science lab to hide them. He… never got to put them to use after the greenhouse got overran…but…” Louis extended his sparkler towards Clementine in a toast like he did before with the pretzels. It became almost ritualistic to do a toast with every little object they shared.

⠀”Now we can today.” His smile was always so silky. “...To Mitch…?” He queried, hovering his sparkler just a few inches away from hers. Grinning, Clem tapped her sparkler to his. “To Mitch.” She confirmed. “Now I can light to that!” He took the match box out of his pocket again, and, once more, the two exchanged a look. With her eyes, Clem seemed to say, think you can do it quick this time? Louis sighed and clenched his teeth as he nodded affirmatively. “I got this!” He declared, zipping a match out from it’s box. For the first time in forever, he struck it once against the box, and it burst into flames. “Yes! Hahaha! I did it! I actually got it first try!” He cheered as he fleetingly stored the box back in his pockets. Clem smirked at him adoringly. He glanced at her, eyes glazing. “Not that I didn’t believe I couldn’t do it! Don’t know what placed that idea in your head.” It was incredible how he seemed to know every thought that crossed through her mind, almost as if they were telepathic. “You said this is your first time doing this in years, right? I’ll light yours first. Bring it here. Just light mine after, because holding this match for so long, it starts to hurt!” Shaking her head with amusement, she brought her sparkler over. Louis hovered the flame next to her sparkler, hoping the wind wouldn’t blow out the flame before her sparkler ignited. It took a few seconds, but soon enough, it lit up. Sparks began flying from the metal stick, like a tiny firework in her hands. As Louis shook out the match and brought over his own sparkler to hers to light up his, Clementine could feel nothing in that moment other than nostalgia, and appreciation… this small, little thing seemed to light a fire in her heart that she hadn’t felt in a long time. It was… comforting.  
⠀  
⠀”Consider this our second, official date!” Louis grinned. The two of them knew the lifespan of a sparkler was short, but to Clem, it felt like it could last forever. Eyes flitting up to him with a slanted smile, Clementine paused before tracing the shape of a heart around Louis’s face with the sparkler from where she stood. She could almost hear Louis’s heart pounding like drums. With a few seconds of hesitation, he mimicked what she did, doing the same to her, watching as her eyes softened and her smile widened. There’s not much one could do with sparklers, especially considering their short life, but all that mattered was that they had it in the palm of their hands. As if they could act like the world was normal again, for just a moment. It was just them, together. Part of her was… glad for the apocalypse. If it hadn’t happened, she would’ve never met Lee, or Luke, or Kenny, or AJ, or… Louis. The crutches squeaked under her weight beneath her armpits as she adjusted them to get both her hands on the sparkler. She stared down at it as it fizzed, the light reflecting in her eyes. As she stared down at the sparkler, Louis looked over at her. Her eyes were nearly the same as the sparkler, just a few shades more vibrant and lively. At times, her gaze was terrifying, but it was in moments like these when Louis could see them to their full potential, and he loved every second of it. Louis inhaled deeply, shutting his eyes feebly as he felt the warmth of the sparkler nearing his milk chocolate hands.  
⠀  
⠀Over on Clementine’s end, her sparkler was beginning to blow out. It gave its last few sparks. It fought to keep its life, but the wind was merely too strong for it to continue. It had dangerously reached the end of the stick anyway. Had it gone on any longer, and Clem might’ve burned her hand. She stared at it for a few seconds more, glaring at its extinguished self before she dropped it to the ground and looked over as Louis’s began to do the same. Even with it out, their happiness didn’t go with it. Standing there with that big stupid grin on Louis’s giddy face as he fluffed his coat yet again, Clementine could do nothing but burst into a fit of laughter. She had to catch her balance on her crutches, leaning over as she smacked her knee. “What?!” Louis announced, dreads drifting with the movement of his head as he neared her. Taking in a few hitched breaths between laughs, Clementine shook her head as she stood up straight. Clem outreached a hand to tousle his hair playfully as she snickered, “Nothing,” Louis couldn’t help but give a few chortles himself. “I am honored that my mere presence alone can score a few laughs from you.” The tan-skinned male across from her placed his own hand on her head and fondled a few curly locks of her hair. Clem narrowed her eyes at him briefly. It felt weird being without her hat when she had worn it for so long in her life. She almost forgot that she wasn’t wearing it, and it surprised her when his hand fell to her hair. Hand dropping back to his side, he flung them up defensively, boots scritching against the dirt below him. “It’s soft!” He proclaimed. “As soft as hair can get in the apocalypse,” Clementine added with a shrug of her shoulders and narrow of her eyes. “The softest!”  
⠀  
⠀Louis took a few tender steps back, glancing to the tree that held the target where they practiced with Marlon’s bow. He remembered the way Clementine had hit the bullseye every single time she shot an arrow, and how he had only landed one on the target. It had even been swinging a bit in the wind, but that didn’t complicate it for Clem. She was such a… badass. “Come here, let’s sit. I’ll help you.” She moved over towards him, and Louis helped shift her down into a sitting position at the stump of the tree, just below the target. He made sure that she didn’t slip. He set the crutches just beside her as he went to the other side of her and took a quick seat. The sound of crickets chirped around them. The ground was freezing. Louis had stuffed the sparkler box back into his pocket. Their breathing synchronized as they sat beside each other. “You know,” Louis glanced her way before looking back out at the sky. “I originally wanted to take you outside the gates, but then I remembered… the whole leg situation. I thought, okay Louis, maybe the watchtower? But, that wasn’t a better option. Plus, the sparks could’ve caught on the wood… and, you get what would’ve happened. I wanted to take you someplace special, but I wanted it to be accessible…” There were a few breaths of silence before Louis looked back over at Clementine, seeking confirmation that he did a good job. “I’m sorry this place isn’t necessarily… romantic, but I hope you can still enjoy it. Besides! Anytime with Louis is a romantic time, right?” He gestured outwards with his hands, palms facing upwards to the sky as he cupped the air. He gawked at her awkwardly with a toothy smile, eyes tapered.  
⠀  
⠀The pale fingers of Clementine laced between Louis’s dormant hand. She smirked as his eyes widened, and she craned her head over to give the boy a gentle peck on the cheek. “It’s perfect.” She hummed, planting her head upon Louis’s shoulder. Their hearts thumped in tune with each other as they wailed their own songs. Louis’s eyes fell to their entwined hands as a small smile painted itself across his features. It was such a tiny gesture, but Louis was just glad he could hold her hand. Together, they closed their eyes for a few moments. They felt like moments that could last forever. Louis found himself turning his head over to face Clementine’s. He reached it down so that his lips could connect with her forehead. He almost wanted to fall asleep next to her, perched up against this tree. Together, just peacefully. He wanted to spend every waking moment with her. She was part of his life now, and Louis couldn’t imagine it without her. “Hey, Louis?” Their eyes met as they turned towards each other. “Yeah?” There was a moment of hesitation before what Clementine said next. She gave his hand a light squeeze, running her thumb softly over the back of his own. His hands were so much larger than hers. In fact, he was about a head taller than she was in general. “I’m really cold, I think we should head back,” she commented, readjusting herself to stand. “Woah there, Clem! You can just take my trench coat. I don’t mind.”   
⠀  
⠀Clem raised an eyebrow. “What is this, a teenage romance movie?” She mused, scoffing as she rolled her eyes. With a wink, Louis grinned and remarked, “It can be if you want it to be,” Clem’s mouth dropped open a little as she goggled at him. She slapped his chest lightly. “Louis!” She whispered under her breath with a blush. “What?! I’m only kidding!” She shook her head, shutting her eyes briefly before looking back up at him. “Dummy.” She scorned. Louis leaned over towards her, playfully jesting back to her. “Hey! You fell for this dummy. Can’t take that back.” Her heart was thudding in her chest like crazy. She snatched up the collar of Louis’s celadon shirt beneath his tan trench coat and yanked him over to her, closing the distance between their lips. They lingered on each other for about a minute before Clementine released the part of his shirt she had balled up in her hand. He broke the kiss only a few seconds after. “Wow, uh, ok, that was… aggressive.” The male murmured with a nod of his head, poking fun at Clementine. She shook her head with a smile. “Whatever, Louis.” She brushed it off, though the coloring of her cheeks spoke the words she wouldn’t. Their hands were still locked together, sitting immobile in each other. Every now and then, the other would trace their finger along the skin of the others hand. Her hand—formerly ice cold—was now warmed up resting in Louis’s palm as their fingers wrapped over each other’s. 

⠀They were quiet for a few moments longer, back to the sound of only crickets. “Um… Louis? You know, I’ve… never actually seen you without your trench coat. Is it comfortable? Or, do you have an attachment to it, like I did with my hat?” She wasn’t even sure what Louis looked like under that trench coat. For all she knew, Louis could be shredded. Not that it mattered, of course, but the curiosity was getting to her. Louis tilted his head over towards Clementine. “So you do want to wear my trench coat!” Clementine frowned, shrugging her shoulders. She was just… curious. “Well, I guess it’s only fair you see me without my trusty coat here now that I’ve seen you without your lovable hat. Still don’t know what that D stands for on it, but I like the mystery of it.” Louis left her side momentarily to stand up, his hand releasing from hers. He shrugged off the coat from his left shoulder first, slipping his arm out of it before he took it off completely. He extended the coat towards Clementine, and she took it into her hands. It was furzy, the soft part of the collar clumped up in separate bunches because of the grim it went through. It still stunk of faint walker from when they’d covered themselves in walker guts to sneak onto the boat, but it had mostly been washed off by the water they waded through. Her own clothes still had a faint trace of it. Like Louis said, walker blood was hard to get out. “Well, what do you think? Am I as dashing as you had first imagined without the coat?”

⠀Clementine shook her head again. “You really are the cutest, Lou.” Louis’s face perked up at the nickname. “So he supplies again!” Louis seemed to forget he wasn’t wearing the coat, and he tried to fluff the corners like he usually did. His hands closed around empty air. A bubble of titters erupted from Clementine’s open mouth. She snorted, and Louis joined in with her laughter. The moon beamed brightly overhead, smiling down on the pair as they laughed the night away. Clementine was getting ready to try on his tan fluffy coat. It had soft lining on the inside. It looked comfortable, and she hadn’t even put it on yet. No wonder Louis wore it all the time. It rarely got hot where they were. It was cold almost all the time, so it was no surprise to Clementine that he kept it on him, almost the same as she kept her jacket on her all the time. She wondered if Louis felt cold now, standing there across from her, staring down at her with these big puppy eyes as he waited for her to try it on. With a smile dashing across her face, the survivor began to work her arm through the first sleeve. It was right about then when Louis spoke. “Not yet! We have a deal to make first. You’re trying on my trench coat, which means when I escort you back to your room, I get to try on your hat.” Clem paused, one arm through the coat. “What? That was never part of the deal! You offered me your coat because I was cold,” Louis shook his head with a grin. “The art of deception. Your arm is already through the coat, no take backs.”  
⠀  
⠀In all honesty, Clem could’ve took her arm out then and there and refused the deal, but Louis was just… too convincingly cute. It was fun to play his dumb little games, and it only made her fall more for him. She shoved both arms down into the coat, and brought it up over her shoulders. “Fine. Deal.” She mumbled. The coat was so so warm. Now that she was wearing it herself, she smelled not walker blood, but the scent of Louis rubbed along the inside of the coat. It was oddly soothing. She felt the cold fading away from her skin as the warmth of both the fuzz and Louis’s scent engulfed her. It felt like a permanent hug, draped across her shoulders. She snuggled herself further into it by moving her back closer to the tree. “How’s it feel, wearing part of good ol’ Louis?” Clementine stayed silent for a few minutes, her hand rubbing softly against the collar that he usually tugged when he was being snarky or prideful. Her gaze floated from her hand on the coat, back up to Louis. “Nice. It feels… nice.” Louis didn’t expect that. He expected her to bite back at him. The shock in his face was quickly replaced with a wide, heartwarming smile. “Nice? That’s nice… I mean— it’s nice that you think it’s nice. To wear.” He was obviously flustered. His cheeks were darkening, deepening the shade of his freckles. He had more freckles on his face than stars in the sky. “I bet it’ll be just as nice to wear your hat!” 

⠀”Aren’t you cold now?” Clementine chimed. “Me? Cold? The cold never bothered me anyway,” “Oh my god, tell me you did not just quote what I think you did!” “Afraid so, Clemster.” Clementine tried to stand, reaching her hand out to his face. “I swear, if I could stand easy, I would slap you.” Louis leaned his head down towards her so that she could reach. “Go ahead, do it,” He sounded cocky, confident that she wouldn’t do it. She hadn’t slapped him even when he asked her to back before they entered the raiders boat to rescue their friends, so why would she do it now? Clementine’s face heated up. Her hand gently touched his cheek, cupping it in her hands. Louis flinched at her touch at first, afraid she was actually about to hit him, but her hand was soft, and slightly cold from the air. His cheek burned against her hand, threatening to light it afire. The two stared at each other for a long long moment, unmoving. There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Neither moved forward to make a move, he just stood there, leaning over as Clementine graced his cheek with her small hand. Clementine was so much shorter than he was. He was a fairly tall person, while Clementine was shorter than the average female. Next to each other, it was a funny line up. His knees were beginning to ache from hunching over, but he didn’t move.  
⠀  
⠀The silence was thickening the atmosphere. His heart couldn’t take it anymore, and he spoke. “Um… Clementine?” He inquired, his hand lightly placing over Clementine’s hand on his cheek. At the touch of his hand, Clementine brushed her thumb a few times just under his eye. “I love your freckles.” She commented, eyes transfixed on Louis’s own. She loved the way her compliments got him so discombobulated. She thought his cheek couldn’t get hotter in her hand, but it did, and she almost thought she’d burn herself for a moment. Without another word, Louis bent all the way down to her level and pressed his lips to hers. The skin of her lips was so supple and lissom. His dreadlocks grazed her forehead and cheek as they kissed. When he broke the kiss, he sat down on the ground in front of her with his legs bunched up to his chest as he kept his head leaned towards her. “Yeah? Well, I love the way your eyes light up when you’re happy… they’re like their own little stars, but those ones don’t die, no matter how close to death they get. You look death in the face, and you spit on him! Totally kickass.” Clementine laughed in a sigh with a shake of her head. The trench coat was pretty big on her. It hid her hands beneath the lengthy sleeves. It made her look almost like a totally different person. “Also, the trench coat? You. Are. Rocking It.” Louis tossed a roguish finger gun her way. His puckish sense of humor was ticklish enough to get her to laugh again.

⠀Without any warning, Clementine forced herself into an upright position and launched herself into Louis’s arms. She tackled him into a hug. “Woah!” He exclaimed, catching her in his arms, surging backwards. His head almost cracked against the dirt, but he managed to stabilize himself with one arm before it happened. He got himself back into a comfortable sitting position, Clem now splayed across him in a hug, her legs—well, what was left of the other—resting atop his. He placed his freehand along her back to support her, unintentionally bringing her further into the hug. “Jesus, Clem! What’s th—“ “I love you, Louis.” Clementine interrupted him. Louis’s jaw dropped open. Through his smile, a nervous laugh tumbled through the gaps in his teeth. “Wow! That’s uh…” In the back of his head, Louis could hear the song he wrote on the piano that he named after her playing in his head. He could find no words come out of his mouth, but he was saying everything he wanted to say in his head. He said I love you, too, over and over and over in his mind as they hugged each other. Come on, say it. Say something! He yelled at himself internally. Clem readjusted herself, raising her head from his chest to stare into his chocolate chip eyes. Catching her gaze only made him panic more. “A-and… I love Clementine… the fruit! a-and… and you…but, most importantly, you. Definitely you. The fruit’s okay. You’re great. I love you, like, a lot. I love you indescribably! I love—“   
⠀   
⠀Again, Clementine pushed her mouth against his. “Alright, Louis.” She teased with a snicker before delving back in. It was scarce that they had alone time like this where they could be so intimate. She had never been able to kiss him so much in one day. Usually, it was only three times a day, once every different time per day, but kissing him like this was nice. That electric feeling still never died. In fact, it only got stronger. This time, Louis nodded himself into it, brushing a strand of her curly locks out of her face. It felt like it had lasted forever, and they had to readjust themselves twice. When they finally pulled away, Louis only found himself going back in for another. After a few minutes, they stopped, and pressed their foreheads against each other’s. Clementine held the back of Louis’s neck in her hands. “You are really, really great, Clementine. Luck must be on my side! Haha!” He took in a deep breath, eyes closing, barely able to contain his open mouth smile. “I am… really really glad I got to be your first. Like— first kiss! Not the other thing, never the other thing. I-I mean— unless you ever… Alright, I’ll stop talking before I dig myself into a hole of which I may never return.” Clementine raised an eyebrow, mouth crooking to the side in genuine shock. “It’s getting really late. We should probably get heading back.”  
⠀  
⠀”Right! Yes! Let’s.” Carefully, Louis got Clementine off of him. “I-I’ll get your crutches!” He scampered to the side and grabbed hold of the wooden props in one hand. With his free hand, he offered it to Clementine to help her up. She accepted it, and he pulled her up to her foot, having her lean on him for support as he passed the crutches off to her for her to take. Together, they moved through the darkness. If they had watches, they would be able to tell it was at least 3:30 AM by now, by the time they were heading back. Unfortunately, in the apocalypse, there was no way of telling for sure of the time, other than that slight cold that settled on your skin right before nightfall. As they moved together, supporting each other, Louis decided to initiate another conversation. “You know, you should name your crutches. Like I named my chair leg Chairles! It doesn’t have to be a pun, but… that would make it a million times better.” “Name my crutches? How will I be able to tell the two apart? They look the same…” Louis’s face fell. He didn’t think of that. “Well… we have Tenn’s leftover art supplies. AJ could paint a fun design on them, maybe, so you can tell them apart. Plus, why not bring a little color to your life? Other than me, of course.” Clementine hadn’t even realized, but she was still wearing Louis’s trench coat. He didn’t seem to be bothered by it. He appeared set on wearing her hat still. “ I don’t know… I think it might be bad for me to get attached to them.”  
⠀  
⠀”I mean… they’re attached to you, you’re probably going to be stuck with them for life. Won’t be able to get around anywhere without them…” Clem turned her head to look at Louis curiously. With a smirk, he winked, adding “Just like me, minus the last part. You for sure could get around without me, and I believe that without a doubt.” With a sigh and a breathy laugh, Clem glanced down at her one boot, shuffling along down the path as it shifted back to concrete from the dirt to the grass. “Don’t sound so sure about that. Maybe I’d be able to get around without you, physically, but, emotionally?” Clementine went silent. Her words stupefied Louis. “Woah there, uh, I meant in this present moment. Not death. Uhh… let’s not think about that.” Louis wasn’t sure how to feel. He felt… like he was weak. He hadn’t been outside the safe zone all that often ever since it was removed. He’d only killed one person in his lifetime, and that had been an accident, and it was just a few days ago. Meanwhile, Clementine had killed too many to count. She said it got easier, and he hated that he believed her. He didn’t want killing to be easy. He had gone so long avoiding it, killing nothing but walkers when they came about. Ever since the world went to shit, so many people had died from their school. Thirty five in total. It wasn’t fair. Being with Clementine like that had almost made him forget what world they lived in.

⠀”Right. Sorry.” Clem whispered. They found their way back to the door, and Louis held it open for Clementine to make her way inside. At least it was a little warmer inside the school, regardless of all the broken windows that allowed the cool air to leak in. Louis let out a quick sigh of relief. “I thought you weren’t cold?” She pointed out. “Who said I was?” He smirked with a raise of his eyebrow. They didn’t need a match for their way back. It wasn’t that dark, and the match before was mostly just a precaution. Plus, Louis didn’t wanna break his streak for getting that perfect light on the match last time. Helping her along through the darkness with his arm around her shoulder, Clementine sighed. “Louis, I know the way, you know. Even with it dark. Even with only one foot.” Louis felt a bit awkward now. He clenched his teeth together nervously, glancing down to the side. “I know… but… if I can’t hold your hand, I’ll hold your shoulder. Plus, then even if you maybe start to fall, I’ll be able to catch you. It’s a win-win situation!” Clementine pursed her lips. If she shook her head anymore today, it might just fall off. “Fine…” even though her voice was dismissive, she couldn’t hide the tiny smile breaking onto her face. “I am taking your Proclamation of love to me as a pass to be able to continuously return it, and, I love you too much to have a mere missing foot trip you over. Only I can sweep you off your feet.” 

⠀The constant praising and jokes Louis gave her had her sighing. Her heart was bursting with love for him, so much so that she thought she might melt into a puddle in his arms or at his feet. “Uh-huh. Sure. I love you, too, Be-Lou-Ga.” The nickname for Louis came from her own creative geniusness. She felt like it was perfect for him. He looked just as silly and lovable as a beluga, too. Each time she said it, the nickname and the affirmation of affection, it left Louis with this smile that wouldn’t leave his face for minutes. When she first said the nickname, Louis teased her for it. It was made up in response to ‘Clemster’. He told her to leave the puns and nicknames to the professional, but she knew he loved it. Clem knew he adored it, and thought it was just as precious as she was. They finally reached the door of her room. She paused just before it, glancing at Louis. “You probably want your trenc—“ Louis placed a finger up to her lips to hush her, grabbing her arm just before she could slide off the coat. “Ah ah ah! No, not yet. Not till I try on your hat!” He spoke in a hushed whisper. That’s right, now that they were back, they had to whisper again. Louis lightly pushed the door open, holding it carefully to ensure it was no louder than a barely audible creak. It took a lot of tedious effort, but eventually, he got it open enough to slip inside. He glanced back at Clem. “Wait here! I’m gonna grab it.” He whispered.  
⠀  
⠀Tip-toeing up to the cabinet by the sole window of Clem and AJ’s room, he gunned straight for the hat. It was so worn down. She had it for years, and hadn’t lost it more than once that he knew of. It didn’t make sense to him. She had always been on the run, for the majority of her life. She’d been in so many wars, orchestrated attacks, yet she was still rocking the hat. She lost it at the ship, sure, but it still found its way back to her, even with the explosion. When Louis reached it and picked it up in his hand, he froze. He felt like he was holding a very fragile object. Something with more history and trauma than Louis had himself, yet it was just...an inanimate object. Even so, it meant so much to Clementine. He glanced back at the door with a frown. Should he still try it on? Clementine technically gave him permission, but… he felt weird about it. He didn’t want to damage it more than it already was. It was still a little damp from when it was first found, though it was mostly dry by now. It stunk something fierce, and the purple-blue D was peeling off. There were a few holes in the white and blue fabric it was made out of, the most prominent one right to the left side of the D. It was in the shape of the state of Florida. Getting straight A’s in school meant he could identify all the state shapes and names on a map, confident he could do it even still today if he was given one as a test.  
⠀  
⠀He couldn’t help but wonder what it was like in Florida. What it was like everywhere in the world. Survivors were rare these days, and those that they found were usually hostile and on edge, doing nothing to survive other than practices that would’ve been illegal in a normal world. Then again, by now, he could bet that nearly everyone had broken a law that used to be… ones that could land you in jail. For life, even. The face of Dorian flashed into his mind. He had shot her straight through the mouth. He didn’t mean to, it was an accident, but the look on her face was scorched into his brain. It went right through the back of her skull, and she collapsed to the floor beside him as he backed away screaming, profusely apologizing to her dead body. Clem said killing got easier. He didn’t want it to be easier, because he didn’t want to do it again, but he knew he would if it meant protecting the people he loved. This place, Ericson’s school and its people, it was worth fighting for. “Louis?” The voice of Clementine whispered from the door. He had zoned out, hat in his hand. He had completely forgotten what he came here for for a second.

⠀AJ turned over in his bed, and Louis watched as he shifted to face the wall. Was that Omar’s rabbit foot hanging on the metal frame of his bed? He could hear Omar’s voice ringing in his ears. “Those things were supposed to be lucky. Well, it didn’t work!” He said something like that in response to Clementine finding it when they were stuck in the cages. Before he could find himself thinking of Minerva, Louis darted across the room and out the door with the hat in his hand. “Sorry! Got distracted. Your room, wow, you really made it like a home.” He mused, putting great emphasis on the really as he dragged it out. That wasn’t exactly what he had been lost in thought about, but it wasn’t a total lie. Clementine took the hat from Louis’s hands. She still hadn’t worn it again yet, not ever since she lost it. She ran her index finger down the peeling corner of the D. It was pretty amazing how it had been able to keep the rest of its stitchings intact. Held up better than some people's skin stitches. Reaching up her hand, Clementine fitted the hat along Louis’s head. It sat awkwardly on his head, his dreads being pushed down to the frame of his face. “Well? How’s it looking?” Louis smiled.

⠀A giggle popped from Clementine’s mouth. “It’s… cute.” It looked funny, but funny was cute. Louis was cute. Everything about him, everything he wore, and everything he did was automatically cute. She pushed the hat down a little better on his head by the rim. “The cute industry is booming.” Louis commented, tipping the hat with his finger charmingly. They had spent so much time together now, that it was at least four in the morning. The sky was beginning to slowly brighten. The hallway was offered just a slight amount of light. “Next time, I’ll have to carry you on my shoulders so you won’t have to walk. Probably be much faster that way! That, or we’ll make you a prosthetic!” Clementine stared at Louis curiously. “Pros...thetic? What’s a prosthetic?” Louis hadn’t been expecting that. “It’s like— a fake limb. Like how pirates have peg legs? We could turn you into a real pirate!” Louis raised one eyebrow with a childish smirk. “And you don’t even have to worry about scurvy, because your name will cure that. Full of vitamin C!” Louis was saying a lot of words Clementine didn’t recognize, but it was enough to get her to stifle a chuckle. “Louis, did you have a pirate phase?” Louis cackled at her remark. He nodded his head. “Had seven whole books about them! Read them all. Watched a ton of pirate documentaries too. They were teaching you the secrets of pirateship and how to be a real pirate. I know where all the world’s treasures are hidden!” Louis swung his arm with a wink. “Arr matey!” He said with a scowl.  
⠀  
⠀”Okay, Captain Louis, where’s the world's greatest treasure?” Louis looked around, hand horizontal and pressed to his eyebrows as he looked about as if he was searching for it. Eyes traveling, they gradually landed on Clementine, and his hand fell from his forehead and he poked Clementine’s chest. “Well, would you look at that! The greatest treasure is right in front of me. I guess you could say I’m an expert pirate.” It was an obvious flirt. She had to cover her mouth to suppress her oncoming laugh as her cheeks colored crimson red. “Louis…! You gotta stop that.” She was leaning up against the wall to the door to her room to support herself. She wished she could cross her legs as she leaned up against the wall. She even tried, but she caught herself just before her leg sweeped over empty air and she fell. Louis didn’t seem to take notice. “Aw, but you love it.” Louis insisted with a puppy dog frown. He took a step closer to Clem, leaning over her, placing an arm just above her head as he fell against the wall like her. His hair fell in front of his face as he looked down at her with a simper, his eyes as saccharine as the cookies she’d sneak from the cookie jar from her childhood. There was a flaking of sugar in his tone as he spoke next. “So, I’m gonna be like the love interest in a teenage romance movie for a second,”   
⠀  
⠀Clem frowned, looking up at him with a spirit of inquiry. “What do you mean?” She remembered joking about that before, but Louis didn’t sound like he was joking this time. “Heh.” Louis commented, eyes falling to the floor, trailing up from her singular foot to her face again. The smile didn’t melt off his face. “We both love each other, so it’s only right to ask…” The confidence in Louis’s tone was replaced with shyness. “Louis…?” Clem whispered, urging him on to continue talking. The next phrase he spoke was in this tone shrouded with sweet honey. He meant it wholeheartedly, and there was not a sliver of humor in his question. “Clem, will you be my girlfriend?” You could practically see the hearts flying around his head. Clementine laughed out loud. Oh my god, he was so perfect. His eyebrows knitted together as his eyes crocheted a look of worry. She placed her hand along the back of Louis’s neck per usual and brought him closer to her face, kissing his cheek sweetly, careful not to bump her forehead into her hat on his head. “Idiot…” she chortled good-humoredly. “Is that a yes…?” He questioned, eyes hopeful as he stared down at her, his arm moving off the wall and back to his side. “You’re gonna make me say it?” Louis gave her cheek a loving peck. “Yes, yes I am.”   
⠀  
⠀Eyes rolling, Clementine smiled with a sigh. “Yes. Yes I will be your girlfriend.” She didn’t see the reason for titles anymore in this world, but if it made Louis happy, she would oblige. “Really?!” He spoke above a whisper, grabbing one of her arms with his hand. “Yes, really!” She snorted. “Hahahaha! Yes! Yesss!” Louis swooped her up into his arms and spun her around. Her crutches skidded against the wall as they were abandoned before they clacked against the floor. He was so excited, he forgot to whisper. Between his cheers and the sound of the crutches hitting the floor, it was bound to wake someone up. “Louis! Be quiet!” Albeit saying this, she couldn’t help but be unable to stop herself from laughing with him. Knowing she made him this happy made her happy. Louis smothered her with kisses to her face as he held her up in his arms. Clementine could do nothing but shove against his chest as she shook with laughter. “You’re going to wake up AJ!” Louis shook his head, grinning from ear to ear. “Then so be it!” He snickered as he held her in the air.  
⠀  
⠀”Clem! Are you o—“ Speak of the devil. It was AJ, shiv in hand, bursting through the door. The door slammed against the wall, sending dust particles flying everywhere. He was breathing heavily, hunched over, poised to strike with his handmade knife in case Clementine was in danger. He stood up straight, face twisting with confusion as he looked at Louis holding Clem in the air, his face burrowed against her cheek. “Oh! A-AJ!” Clem announced his presence. Louis swung around to face AJ, turning Clem away from him in the process. It’s not like he could just drop her. She wouldn’t be able to catch herself without two legs, and he’d end up hurting her. “Oh! Uh, hey little dude!” He released one hand from Clementine to wave. Clem dropped her one leg from the air to touch the floor. AJ chuckled at them, tucking his knife away back into his pants pocket. “What are you doing? It looked like what you were doing a few nights ago when we went to save our friends from the raiders. Just… different. You did it when you were planning to meet up with that… cara… van—caravan in the morning today too. And—“ Clementine shook her head as her chin rested against Louis’s shoulder. “AJ, can you hand me my crutches?” AJ nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. “Sure.”  
⠀   
⠀Once she had her crutches, she pulled herself away from Louis. “Louis, you should probably go head to bed. I’ll talk to you in the morning.” “Righteo Clemmy-O!” Louis’s nicknames were usually bad, but none as bad as that. Clem’s jaw physically dropped. Louis frowned, his finger gun faltering. He shrugged. He began to walk away back to his room, but AJ stopped him. “Wait. That’s Clementine’s hat. And… you’re wearing Louis’s coat?” The pair had completely forgotten. “Oh, right,” Louis sucked in a breath, tentatively removing the cap from his head and extending it towards Clementine. Clem took her time taking the coat off her shoulders. It wasn’t easy removing accessories like coats with crutches, but AJ was there to help. The two traded off clothing articles, and Louis swiftly swung the trench coat back onto his shoulders. She didn’t know whether she preferred him with or without the coat. “Thanks!” He made a clicking noise within his mouth and winked, backing up a few steps before he turned around to walk back to his room. He glanced over his shoulder twice to look back at Clementine, and when AJ wasn’t looking, he blew her an air-kiss.

⠀”You told me before that I’d understand when I’m older… but, I am old! If you just explained it to me, I’d understand. Please Clem? You said you trust me.” Clementine shook her head as she sighed, one hand falling to AJ’s back as she guided him back inside the room. She held her cap in the hand she guided him with. “Alright, I’ll try, but I’m not explaining everything, AJ. You know when I mentioned that Minerva and Violet were in love? You know, the heart they carved into the wall of the storage house by the fishing river, with their initials within it.” AJ immediately chimed in. “You and Louis are in love! I knew it!” He gaped. “What?! How’d you know!? I thought you didn’t understand that stuff,” AJ crossed his arms. “Because I saw the same symbol on Louis’s piano, but with your in-itial and his.” It hadn’t even clicked in Clementine’s brain that AJ would’ve seen it when she carved it on his piano. Louis played the piano nearly every day, and AJ loved hearing him play, of course he would’ve seen it. Clementine pressed a hand to her forehead, shaking her head. “So… wait, if that’s what you do when you’re in love, does that mean Ruby and Aasim are… in love too…?” Clementine nodded her head. “Yes. Ruby and Aasim are in love, too.”   
⠀  
⠀All this information was a lot to process. AJ held his hands together. “Clem…?” He whispered, looking from the floor back up to Clementine. “Please don’t disappear in the night like that without letting me know. I don’t care if you wake me up. I want to know. Especially with you having no foot. I didn’t know what to think when you were gone. I thought about what happened with Brody, and Marlon, and I was scared that was happening again when I heard you shout.” Clementine’s gaze softened as AJ continued, her grip on the crutches readjusting. “Please… just, let me know next time.” A small sigh breezed out of Clementine’s lips. She nodded her head, shuffling one hand off her crutch to place it atop AJ’s head. “I will, AJ. Thank you for looking out for me.” AJ smiled softly as he looked up at her. He wrapped his arms around Clementine’s body in an embrace, to which Clem did the same, careful to not drop her crutches. “Alright, goofball, let’s get to bed now.” AJ scurried over to his bed, hopping in it. “It’s AJ.” He corrected her, chuckling. Clementine shambled over to the long nightstand by the window and set her hat back down in it’s usual spot. It’d start to collect dust again. Moving back to her bed, Clementine placed her crutches against the metal frame and hobbled her way along to her sheets before clambering up into the bed and rolling over with a sigh of relief. “You’ll always be goofball to me.”  
⠀  
⠀”Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the walkers bite, and if they try?” Clem looked over at AJ from where she laid in her bed. AJ sat upright, acting as if he was holding a fake gun. “Bang.” He concluded, hand recoiling just like with a real gun as he ‘pulled’ the trigger. “I love you, AJ.” Clementine breathed, closing her eyes. “I love you too, Clem.” He murmured, cozying himself up under the worn down, crinkly covers of his mattress. There was no noise other than crickets that chirped from outside and the rustle of wind against leaves that disturbed them until AJ spoke again. “Clem…?” Clem’s eyes opened again, glancing over at AJ. He was holding his hands together nervously again. “I’m happy. For you and Louis. I like Louis. He’s nice.” Clementine smiled at his approval, nodding her head joyously. “You’re right, AJ. He is nice.” She sighed, flipping her pillow over to the colder side of it, tucking one hand under it. “I just wanted to let you know, so you didn’t have to worry about what I might think. Because Louis is really cool.” Clementine chuckled softly as she pulled the covers over herself. “You’ll be seeing him a lot more now.” She stated, shutting her eyes. “Good.” He yawned. Like a light, AJ had fallen back to sleep. It wasn’t long before Clementine got washed away into the black sea of sleep too, dreams invaded by her tender moments with Louis tonight.


End file.
